Weekly Chart Stalk Thread

adirat · December 2016

Let our semi-professional TTGP chart stalkers give you a second (third, fourth, fifth) opinion.

Hat tip to thread inventor @Sailing_Mama.

This is a thread where anyone can feel free to request a chart stalk, second-guess FF's interpretation, or post chart-related questions, regardless of where in your cycle you are. Sometimes FF is wrong. That's where we come in.

Post away!

hartmich · December 2016

This is mostly just for my own knowledge, since H & I are sort of taking a break from active TTC this month... hence why I stopped temping for the 2 days after my + OPK. Now I wish I had because this chart is ugly.

Why in the world is FF trying to give me CH for CD 17? There's barely any temps below that coverline they chose, and I got a + OPK the next day. I just don't get it.

I was pretty sure O was CD19 because my CM dried up noticably, but today's temp is kind of low for post O for me, so who even knows.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/sf/g4uhjkwg8rfy.png

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@hartmich I'd say just hang in there - hopefully with a little more data you'll see a sustained shift, but right now it's just hard with the missing data. I think you could definitely be onto something with cd19, but ff just doesn't have the immediate post-o temps to help it zero in, I guess. fx ff decides to agree with you in a couple days!

adirat · December 2016

@hartmich Yeah, that's weird -- I agree with you that cd19 is likelier but maybe FF is programmed not to isolate a date without a spike after it?

letyourheartbeyourguide · December 2016

@hartmich what happens if you put in tomorrow's temp around the same value as today? My guess is FF would move your ch to CD18, since you don't have a temp recorded for CD19 (ETA: because it looks for three "high" temps to confirm O). Based on the opk and cm, CD19 or 20 both seem like possibilities but I don't think FF will give you CH for them without temps those days.

hartmich · December 2016

@letyourheartbeyourguide It does move my CH and like you said, it's probably not ever going to be right because I missed such key temps. But this still looks crazy to me! I thought I understood FF and what it's trying to look for... but clearly I don't.

@adirat I'm sure FF hates me for not putting in temps those days.

@businesswife You know I don't have patience!

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/k1/sggfqnwm3as2.png

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@hartmich lol Oh, I totally get it! I would say next time, if you want to take the pressure off the tww, just hold out temping for those *three* days after when you *think* you ovulated. those three days post-o are the most critical for ff placing ch. then once you have solid ch, you can just chill ;) even if you only waited two more days, from a + opk, *eta it wouldnt QUITE be enough* since most cases we are going to ovulate on or AFTER a + opk (but pretty much never before) right? so could really even take 3-5 days of temps after a + opk to get ch.

hartmich · December 2016

@businesswife I'm usually really good at temping, I promise! We went out of town Friday night and I didn't bring my thermometer. I didn't forget exactly - I was just kind of pissy about TTC and was determined to just "not care". We all see how that's going so far....

Image: https://media4.giphy.com/media/1jwpBw2VYR7mo/200.gif#15

sheknows6 · December 2016

Let's play a round of "Did I ovulate?"

This is a hot freaking mess. My timing for consistent temping has been basically crappy because of my traveling, and I don't really see a "sustained shift" here...more like I spiked and fell again.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/aj/jfmtxdk9knf5.png

[Deleted User] · December 2016

Did you noticed anytjing in particular with cm you could maybe add? @sheknows6

sheknows6 · December 2016

@BusinessWife I wish I could, but unfortunately I don't really remember. I was so focused on the material we were learning that I managed to temp out there and that was basically it.

I did have ovulation pain and my sex drive went up around my ovulation date, but I don't remember what my CM was exactly.

[Deleted User] · December 2016

Yeah, it's tough, @sheknows6 There COULD be a shift there with a fallback rise, but with the open circles before and after it makes it hard. travelling is definitely tough on temps. If I might make a suggestion, don't worry too much about learning all the details at first. but one clear sign of the presence of fertile-type cervical mucus is a lubricative sensation when you wipe. Even before urination/bm, you can wipe front to back, pee, wipe again (this is the Creighton technique), and look at the tissue. but baby steps. if you just go about your business, but when you wipe, you suddenly notice the tissue really "gliding" put E in FF. when that stops happening, you don't have to put anything in ff, but it will log it as a fertile patch and that can help see if things line up. (Bonus points if you touch what you find on the tissue and it stretches, especially to 1"+) I say this too, bc watching out for fertile-type cm will not be affected by travel, either, quite the way temping is. :/

adirat · December 2016

Ditto all the good advice @businesswife gave. Fwiw I only check cm when wiping and I can see ewcm when O is close.

@sheknows6 I think there's a fair chance you ovulated given the other symptoms you note but if I were you, I would keep HIO just in case

sheknows6 · December 2016

@BusinessWife, @adirat many thanks!!!!

I'm sure my H will be happy to hear your recommendation

purplg8r · December 2016

@adirat & others. Yesterday when I was playing with temps, it gave me vertical CH on Sunday which I agree with. But then today's temps moved it to Saturday. BUT I had ewcm on Sunday. I had a +CB on Saturday (I've never O'd on the same day as CB) and then 2 +OPK wondfos on Sunday still. Plus CP was high and soft on Sunday but not Saturday.

wabash15 · December 2016

@hartmich I think the other ladies answered your Q but I thought I'd add my 2cents also. I think FF gave you CH where it did because you had 3 temps and CD17 was a dip, I agree with you that it was early but since you were missing days thats all FF had to go off of, and when you added more data it shifted.

@sheknows6 it looks possible for O but with the lack of other info its a bit hard to tell, if your temps drop further than I bet you'll loose the CH but if they come back up then I think your good to go. As the other ladies have said I would HIO just in case.

@purplg8r going just of temps I would say the O date is correct. I historically have O'd on the last day of +OPKs but the last two cycles I have O'd on the second to last day of +OPKs... it does not totally make sense to me but bodies are weird. Do you ever get fertile CM post O?

adirat · December 2016

@purplg8r It's hard to say between Saturday and Sunday. As @wabash15 asked, do you ever have fertile cm after O? I always do at 1dpo but I know many others dry up so you may want to go with what your body usually does. If ewcm was only 1 day, then I would lean toward Sunday. It's still a spike on Monday.

purplg8r · December 2016

@wabash15 @adirat this is the first time I've gotten enough ewcm to recognize it. But CP was higher & softer on Friday, then lower & firmer on Saturday, then higher & softer on Sunday again if that means anything (first month I've notice that too)
I'm struggling because my LP is short with 9 days. I'm taking super b complex to see if that lengthens it but now I'm not sure what cd 1 should really be

adirat · December 2016

@purplg8r I'm leaning toward Sunday given your other signs but Saturday given temps. Where has your coverline been in past cycles?

purplg8r · December 2016

@adiratHigher, 97.82ish, 97.88ish, then 97.7. This one is 97.5

adirat · December 2016

@purplg8r That's another vote for Sunday then

If I were you, I would go with Sunday and manually override.

purplg8r · December 2016

@adirat ok. Thanks for your advice!! (How do you manually override?)

cdnrunning · December 2016

@BusinessWife wow on your response re: EWCM, I wish I would have read that 2 years ago!! Such a great description and I didn't know about the wiping beforehand. I learn something new every day

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@cdnrunning ;) no problem! happy to help! :)

lulu1180 · December 2016

Ok all, so I think I may have actually O'd!!

I am missing many temps because I didn't expect to have a normal cycle (and also wasn't really trying for the same reason.) Historically I O around CD10 so that's what I would be leaning towards but wanted to get the opinion of all of you lovely ladies! Also, FF tells me "Your chart data does not allow ovulation to be pinpointed to within a 24 hour timeframe. Your temperature suggests, however, that ovulation may have occured between CD 9 and CD 14."

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5020794/uploads/editor/uf/l8vu1hbafgaz.jpg

adirat · December 2016

@lulu1180 Girl I am so thrilled you might be getting a real O cycle! I agree -- hard to pinpoint a day based on temps but it looks promising. Given CM I would guess cd9.

ChefRamsay · December 2016

@lulu1180 I would go with what @adirat said since ya know, she's awesome at this

But hurray for maybe O'ing!

kaitlink33 · December 2016

So, I just have a general question. I tried temping when we first started trying with medicated cycles but I work night shift so they were always wonky cuz my sleep schedule is weird and I don't sleep at the same times especially on my days off and whatnot. I would really love to start temping again, but I just don't see a way around mmother way my schedule is. Any suggestions?

wabash15 · December 2016

@lulu1180 I agree with the other ladies, looking at CM and CP I would guess CD9 for O!! Hooray, that means your 8dpo!

wabash15 · December 2016

@kaitlink33 so a few options... you could temp at the same time during the week and just not temp or accept open circles on your weekend when your sleeping at different times. There was also a member a while back who could not temp in the AM so she picked a time in the early afternoon and sat quietly for a while then took her temp, this is not really a basal body temp but she said she was still able to see a shift post O.

adirat · December 2016

@kaitlink33 I think @wabash15 has great suggestions as always. I do not temp on weekends anymore for mental health reasons and I can still see a shift. If you are hitting at least 4 days per week and maybe making the extra effort to temp the days around O, AND you track something else like cm/cp/opks, you should be able to do it. And we can help you interpret your chart too

ColoradoHiker · December 2016

Random chart question. I think I broke FF. I was playing with higher numbers for the next couple of days, to see when FF thought O would happen. After deleting the future numbers, it's still giving me the red Y axis lines. Any way to get rid of that?

ChefRamsay · December 2016

Lol @ColoradoHiker breaking FF

Maybe try adding some low temps for the next few days?

ETA or maybe try setting an O date manually and then removing it?

lulu1180 · December 2016

@ColoradoHiker I would think if you just continue to put temps in as you get them, it will eventually correct itself. I don't know if there's a way to get rid of it otherwise

kaitlink33 · December 2016

@wabash15 and @adirat so I work every other weekend and have random days off during the week so it wouldn't really be the same days or exact. Like if I work I wake up in the afternoon but if I'm off I go to bed early and am up early in the am. How do you just sit quietly for a while then temp? Like as in for how long, etc? Sorry for the interrogation, I would just like to start temping again but never really saw a way around my schedule.

doula-mama · December 2016

@kaitlink33 Can you try going with the same time every day (that you can) for a cycle, and then try one cycle going by how long you slept? See if one of them lines up with your other symptoms (CM/CP/OPKs) and then stick with that route.

kaitlink33 · December 2016

@Sailing_Mama as far as going by how long I slept you mean regardless of it being at the same time of the day?

ColoradoHiker · December 2016

@ChefRamsay and @lulu1180 Thanks for the feedback! I'll try putting in the lower numbers, too, and if that doesn't work.. I guess I need to figure out how to manual override/ hope it goes away.

wabash15 · December 2016

@kaitlink33 I would either temp at the same time on those days you do work and forgo the days your off even if it's not 5days in a row. The women who temped during the day said she sat still for an hour then temped... I think she watched TV. I would probably try temping and even if your chart is ugly hopefully you would still see a shift

kaitlink33 · December 2016

Thanks! I'm gonna get a thermometer tomorrow and go from there since it's about to be the beginning of a new cycle

[Deleted User] · December 2016

@kaitlink33 tbh, I'm not sure the whole sitting still for an hour thing is really the best approach.

I would say pick the time that would be most consistent, more days than not. so if you wake at 4PM on your working days, for example, but more like 8AM on your off days, just have those alarms set so at least the days you temp in the afternoon, its At. 4. Every. Time. as much consistency as possible.

same for your off days, if that's 8 AM, have it be 8AM. Every. Time. or set one even earlier like 6AM (and then go back to sleep) if that helps it be more consistent so you don't wake up at 730 and feel the need to lie there holding your pee for 30 min lol. Can you try that for starters? so you don't have a million temp times at least - <b>just two</b>.

I would also offer, of on your off days, you have already logged an AM temp, and you're able to relax, take a nap etc. and re-temp at your normal work-day time, that might be interesting to see if those temps are better/clearer! but it might not work if you are out running around at Target at the time :D and I do think really an actual nap would be preferable to just sitting quietly, tbh. just log both temps in the notes.

[I would say try also try the second AM temp time on your work days, except again, doesnt make sense if you're in the middle of running around taking care of patients at the time. you can TRY IT, but my guess it would be artificially high i.e. defeat the point of your BASAL BT. you coukd try it anyway if you feel like it (for science), or not.)

Unfortunately, no one here will be able to tell you the one right way to approach it. it may take some trial and error a few cycles before you figure out what works for you! I would also STRONGLY SUGGEST in your case, pay attention to cm, and try opks on for size. the more data you can give ff will help it see "the stars align" and will be more reliable overall than just going based strictly off temps, which you already know may not be the most crystal clear. GL!!!!

Want a personalized experience?

Weekly Chart Stalk Thread

Re: Weekly Chart Stalk Thread

TTC #1 --- BFP #1 5/15, loss at 5 weeks --- BFP #2 12/15, loss at 4+3 --- RE testing 3/16 normal, still trying for our rainbow

Choose Another Board

Search Boards